The New York Yankees will retire lefty CC Sabathia’s No. 52 on September 26, making him the 24th player in team history to have his number retired. Sabathia will be the first Yankee since Paul O’Neill on August 21, 2022, to have this honor bestowed upon him. He will also be the first pitcher to have his number retired since Andy Pettitte on August 23, 2015.
A Yankee Legend
Sabathia spent 11 of his 19 seasons with the Yankees, compiling a 134–88 record with a 3.80 ERA. He was named an All-Star three times with the team, while finishing inside the top four in Cy Young voting three times as well. In Yankees history, Sabathia ranks fourth in strikeouts (1,700), seventh in games started (306), and 10th in wins (134).
Sabathia will perhaps be best remembered for his first season in the Bronx, pitching to a 19–8 record and a 3.37 ERA. In the postseason, he dominated with a 1.98 ERA and an ALCS MVP award, allowing three runs or fewer in all five starts. He helped the Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2009 World Series, the team’s last championship title.
California Dreamin’
A native of Vallejo, Calif., Sabathia was drafted 20th overall out of high school by the Cleveland Guardians in 1998. He made his major league debut three years later, posting a 17–5 record and a 4.39 ERA in 141 2/3 innings pitched. He finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting behind his future teammate and fellow Hall of Famer, Ichiro Suzuki.
Over the next five seasons in Cleveland, Sabathia developed into one of the game’s best and most dependable pitchers. From 2002–2006, he started at least 30 games in all but one season, making back-to-back All-Star appearances in 2003 and 2004.
A Wild Two Years
In 2007, Sabathia put together the best season of his career. In a league-best 34 games started and 241 innings pitched, Sabathia went 19–7 with a 3.21 ERA. He won his first and only Cy Young award that season, receiving 19 of 28 first-place votes.
The following season, Sabathia made 18 starts in Cleveland before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for four prospects. He made 17 starts for the Brewers that season, posting a 1.65 ERA in 17 starts. He helped the team break a 26-year playoff drought, although the Brewers lost to the Phillies in the NLDS.
A Historic Ending
Following the 2008 season, Sabathia became a free agent and signed with the Yankees. The seven-year, $161 million contract he agreed to was a pitcher-record at the time. In 2025, Sabathia was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
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